gHacks technology news » file extensions http://www.ghacks.net A technology blog covering software, mobile phones, gadgets, security, the Internet and other relevant areas. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:11:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 File Extensions Identification http://www.ghacks.net/2009/03/28/file-extensions-identification/ http://www.ghacks.net/2009/03/28/file-extensions-identification/#comments Sat, 28 Mar 2009 10:18:58 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/2009/03/28/file-extensions-identification/ Every computer user will eventually encounter files that cannot be opened with the programs installed on the computer system. Experienced users might try to open those files in a basic text editor or perform a search on the Internet to find a program that can open files with those extensions.

Another possibility is the Open With desktop client which adds itself to the context menu of Windows Explorer after installation. A right-click on an unknown file type – or any file type actually – will display the “How Do I Open This” entry which will open a new window that contains a short description of the file type and software program suggestions to open those file extensions on the computer system.

Only free software programs have been listed during tests. Open With will link to the download page of those suggested programs or inform the user that the program is already installed on the computer system.

file extensions

The display of the suggested software programs to open the file extensions was broken on the test system. Another aspect that many users will not like is that the program adds itself to the first position in the Windows Explorer context menu. To move the entry in Windows Explorer read Windows Explorer Context Menu Editor or Windows Explorer Menu Editor.

Lastly the program tries to install another application (PC Mighty Max 2009) during setup which is not needed for Open With to function properly. A quick check on the developer’s homepage revealed that it is a commercial software. It is not recommended to install that software.

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2009/03/28/file-extensions-identification/feed/ 2 Shell Extension Manager http://www.ghacks.net/2008/11/03/shell-extension-manager/ http://www.ghacks.net/2008/11/03/shell-extension-manager/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:57:41 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=8030 Windows is storing information about file extensions and the actions that can be triggered when right-clicking the files or folders in Windows. A right-click on a spreadsheet file would for example reveal options to open the file in Microsoft Office or Open Office. That might include actions added by applications that are not used by the user at all for that purpose.

A way to manage the context menu entries would be to edit them right in the Windows Registry. A more secure solution is by the use of software like Shell Menu View by NirSoft. The portable software displays a list of all registered shell extensions of a Windows operating system with information like the menu name, the file extensions or the path of the application.

The tables can be sorted in various ways and there is a search to find that one extension that you want to edit right now. A right-click on any row in the software program opens a context menu that provides options to disable or enable an extension, open the Registry key of that extension or print a list of all or selected items.

shell extension manager

ShellExView is a portable application that runs on most Windows operating systems but works best in Windows XP and Windows 2000 because they can make use of the disable feature.

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2008/11/03/shell-extension-manager/feed/ 0 Windows Explorer File Extension Column http://www.ghacks.net/2008/08/07/windows-explorer-file-extension-column/ http://www.ghacks.net/2008/08/07/windows-explorer-file-extension-column/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:45:36 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=5922 Windows Explorer does not provide a way to sort files by their file extension. The only way that resembles that sorting filter would be to filter by type. That however has not the same effect. Take files with the file extensions wav and mp3 and sort them by type. You will notice that they will be mixed in the Windows Explorer view because type refers to the type of the file and not its extension.

The tool Cpext adds a file extension column to Windows Explorer making it possible to sort the files in detailed view by their file extension and not their type.

The Windows Explorer extension is available for Windows 2000, Windows 2003, Windows XP including the 64-bit editions of Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP.

windows explorer extension

A right-click on the file CPExt.inf and the selection of install will start the installation of the Windows Explorer extension. A logoff / logon or reboot is required before the additional column becomes available in Windows Explorer.

The column has to be activated by right-clicking on a existing column in detail view mode and selecting more from the menu that opens. Check the Ext entry in the following menu to add the file extension column to Windows Explorer.

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2008/08/07/windows-explorer-file-extension-column/feed/ 8 Identify Files with Trid http://www.ghacks.net/2008/06/17/identify-files-with-trid/ http://www.ghacks.net/2008/06/17/identify-files-with-trid/#comments Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:11:02 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=5021 Users are usually puzzled for a moment if they encounter a file type that they never heard about before and that none of their installed applications seems to be able to load properly. A search on the Internet is probably the main way to identify a file extension and the application it can be opened with.

Another solution is offered by applications like Trid that scan the file and display those information on the local computer. This method has a few advantages over the Internet search. The first and most obvious one is that no Internet is required to identify the file and the second that there will be no danger of landing on a website that might lure the user into downloading malicious software.

Trid (via Shellcity) is actually a very sophisticated software that comes as a command line interface version, a Tridnet version that comes with a GUI, an online version that can be used on the Trid homepage and a scanner that can add new file extensions to the database.

trid

Trid uses a database of definitions to identify files:

TrID uses a database of definitions which describe recurring patterns for supported file types. As this is subject to very frequent update, it’s made available as a separate package. Just download both TrID and this archive and unpack in the same folder.

New definitions can be added by scanning files on the system or by downloading the newest definition file from the Trid homepage.

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